Neon vs Cardinal Tetras

These fish are not cichlids so this thread should really be under General Freshwater...

But anyway, both fish are very similar in both appearance and how you look after them. The cardinal grows a bit bigger than the neon, and is more colourful - the neons red stripe covers half the length of its body, where the cardinal covers the full lenth.

Check out the species profiles on this site for more info, and if it were me I'd have cardinal tetras every time.... Is that aus $$ you are quoting? If it is they are way cheaper than here.

Andy,

PS, I love Queensland, its my favourite place in OZ:cool:
 
Cardinals tend to be a bit bigger and a bit hardier than neons (this is true at least for the wild caught varieties we see around here), and many will say cardinals are better tankmates for angels. (Less likely to become snacks, I suppose.)

Unless kept in very large schools, think neons look better in smaller tanks. The tend to look lost in larger tanks.

Jim
 
I would have to disagree with JSchmidt about cardinals being hardier. Although both look very similar there are some big differences.

Most Cardinals that are available are wild caught. This in and of itself makes them a bit more difficult to acclimate to captivity. Captive bred specimens are available but this is the exception rather than the rule. Cardinals come from very soft, acidic waters (pH 5.0-6.0) such as the Rio Negro. These conditions need to be duplicated for best success. In harder, alkaline waters they tend to languish and never do their best. The waters in this area are also very warm. Cardinals need to be kept at minimum of 84ºF and up to 90ºF for best results.

Neons on the other hand are bred by the millions in the Far East and wild caught specimens are almost unheard of anymore. This alone makes them a bit more adaptable and hardier. They come from waters that are moderately soft and with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0). Condidtions which are much more simple to duplicate. They also do better at cooler temperatures, 72ºF-78ºF.

Due to their color and size most people consider Cardinals to be a more desirable fish but some thought needs to be put into their care. Certainly not a fish to just throw into a tank to fill extra space. In many cases the Cardinals will be the most delicate fish in the tank.
 
Originally posted by Marcus
..... Cardinals come from very soft, acidic waters (pH 5.0-6.0) such as the Rio Negro. These conditions need to be duplicated for best success. In harder, alkaline waters they tend to languish and never do their best. The waters in this area are also very warm. Cardinals need to be kept at minimum of 84ºF and up to 90ºF for best results........
Click to expand...
Well, that's why my Neons didn't last in my Discus tank... The Cardinals did much better.
 
Originally posted by Marcus
I would have to disagree with JSchmidt about cardinals being hardier. Although both look very similar there are some big differences.

Most Cardinals that are available are wild caught. This in and of itself makes them a bit more difficult to acclimate to captivity. Captive bred specimens are available but this is the exception rather than the rule. Cardinals come from very soft, acidic waters (pH 5.0-6.0) such as the Rio Negro. These conditions need to be duplicated for best success. In harder, alkaline waters they tend to languish and never do their best. The waters in this area are also very warm. Cardinals need to be kept at minimum of 84ºF and up to 90ºF for best results.

Neons on the other hand are bred by the millions in the Far East and wild caught specimens are almost unheard of anymore. This alone makes them a bit more adaptable and hardier. They come from waters that are moderately soft and with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0). Condidtions which are much more simple to duplicate. They also do better at cooler temperatures, 72ºF-78ºF.

Due to their color and size most people consider Cardinals to be a more desirable fish but some thought needs to be put into their care. Certainly not a fish to just throw into a tank to fill extra space. In many cases the Cardinals will be the most delicate fish in the tank.
Click to expand...

Excepting the Florida-bred neons that are now appearing in some LFSs, I've never heard anyone on the boards describe neons as hardier than about any fish, and cardinals have generally been offered as easier-to-keep alternatives. I know my luck with non-Florida neons has been terrible, with early losses at least 4x that what I ever get with cardinals.

I'd be interested in hearing if others do, in fact, have more luck keeping neons alive than cardinals. It would be interesting for me, if nothing else...

Also, this might be a good thread to move to the General Freshwater section, seeing as how it doesn't really involve cichlids...

Cheers!

Jim
 
I would also agree with Marcus on this one. The water conditions that you have will determine which one is hardier. We had our shop outside of Redmond WA. where the water is hard and high PH. We stopped carying Cardinals because no one could keep them alive. For us the neons were a much better choice. When I had the shop in ID, it was a totally different story. The cardinals were the fish of choice as the water suited them much better.
 
From what I've heard and seen, Cardinals are generally more sensitive and should be added to a well established tank. Neons are a little more hardy, the only loss I've suffered with my Neons happened when one was just a little too anxious and jumped out the tank.
 
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